People Will Say We're in Love
by TheLifeILive
Summary: Speculations, whispers, Brennan decides that it's time to take action and put an end to the rumours about her and a certain FBI Agent. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own them. I don't profit from them. But hey, a girl can dream.**

**This is my second story for Bones. I always wondered what would happen if they ever got really fed up with people whispering about them behind their backs and eventually the idea wouldn't leave me alone. It was going to be only one chapter, but I've decided I might make it more. **

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Temperance Brennan strode through the brightly lit hallways of the J. Edgar Hoover building as she headed toward the office of her partner Seeley Booth. Her mind was fixed on the case that was currently puzzling them, but as she passed by the rows of cubicles that lined the hallway she couldn't help but notice the attention she was attracting. She felt the stares and heard people whispering as she walked by. 

Despite what people said, she wasn't completely unaware of what went on around her. Her mind wasn't as one track as many believed. She knew what people said: the rumours, the murmuring, the speculation about her and Booth's "partnership". She felt her face heat up as she saw two young women whisper to each other and giggle as she walked toward Booth's office door. Normally Brennan wouldn't have cared, but enough was enough!!!

She pushed Booth's door open and glared at him.

"This has to stop! I can't take it anymore!!" she said angrily as she flopped down in one of Booth's chairs.

"Whoa, hold up," said Booth as he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "What did I do now?"

Brennan would have found his reaction amusing had it not been for the foul mood she was now in.

"Nothing Booth, it's everyone else. It's the looks we get, the assumptions, the rumours that people spread."

"Bones, since when do you care what people think?"

"I don't," she said defensively. "I'm just tired of people getting the wrong impression and I'm tired of knowing that everywhere we go people are talking about us behind our backs, saying that we're more than friends. If I had a dollar for all the times that Angela has told me that we're in denial . . . well I'd be a billionaire ."

In truth she knew that maybe some of the things they did could be misconstrued as actions that would indicate that they were in a relationship, but no one had the right to assume that they were. It's not like they repeated those actions very often, they were nothing like Angela and Hodgins who couldn't keep their hands off each other were they?? That thought caused Brennan's mind to drift . . . hands. . Booth's hands . . . on her. . . NO!! Those were thoughts she had safely locked away. Stay focused!!

Booth looked helpless. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I've been compiling a list . . ." she began.

"Uh oh," said Booth with a look of apprehension.

Brennan pushed on. "There are a few things that you have to stop doing."

"Like what?" Booth now looked genuinely confused.

"For one, you have to stop touching me all the time."

"What, I don't touch you!" Booth just gaped at Brennan. Inside he knew she was right though, lately he had been taking advantage of every opportunity hoping she might not notice.

"You do, you subconsciously guide me by placing your hand on my lower back. You touch me on my arm or my shoulder to get my attention. That has to stop."

Booth sighed. "All right, I get it. What's next?"

"You have to stop being so protective of me."

"Bones . . ."

"And I'm not just saying this because of how I feel about your alpha male tendencies. It creates the illusion that you feel more for me than just friendship."

"Bones you know I can't stop protecting you. It's my job to keep you safe!"

"Well do you have to make it so obvious? Maybe try to tone it down a little bit, at least when other people are around?"

He grinned at her. "No promises Bones."

"I guess that'll have to do. No more paying for my meals when we're at Wong Foo's or the Diner."

"Just being a gentleman Bones."

"Yeah? Well Angela's very observant. She went on for a week about it the last time she noticed you picking up the tab for our lunch."

"Fine, whatever," Booth was becoming a little more than annoyed by now. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, one last thing you need to stop doing."

Booth sighed, "And what is that Bones?" he asked, preparing himself for another rant about his alpha male tendencies, maybe not letting her drive or to stop holding the door open for her. Some feminist crap like that.

She leaned back and looked at him. "You need to stop invading my personal space. You stand too close to me Booth, you hover, you're always staring at things over my shoulder and when we fight, you're right in my face."

Booth stared at her. What was she talking about?? Good question . . .

"What are you talking about?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!"

Did he do that? "If I do, I don't do it on purpose."

"Well now you know. When you do those things, well, people say . . . 'she trailed off and her face turned a pretty shade of pink, unable to finish her sentence.

Booth looked at her, enjoying the blush on her cheeks and the fact that she was obviously embarrassed.

"What do they say Bones?"

Damn him, he was going to make her say it. "You know . . . "

"Maybe I don't."

"They'll say we're in love."

"Is that what they say?" He was enjoying watching her squirm.

"Yes, they do. Now if you'll just follow the advice I gave you . . . "she began as she turned to leave his office, her purpose for being there now completely forgotten.

Booth stood up quickly and grabbed her arm.

"Now that is in direct violation of the second item . . . "she didn't get very far when Booth cut her off.

"Not so fast Bones. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one providing material for the gossip going around these days. You're quick to give out advice, but I think it's time you were given some."

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**So, does anyone want me to continue?? Please, review, pretty please. It will be the one ray of sunshine amidst numerous essays and textbook readings! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Again, they're not mine. By the way, the title of this story is borrowed from the title of song from the Broadway Production/ Movie "Oklahoma" whose two main characters are forced to face the feelings they have fro each other that everyone besides them found pretty obvious. Sound familiar to anyone?? **

**Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the response I got to the first chapter!! I've never even got half that many reviews on a story before:) **

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"You have got to be kidding me!" Brennan glared at Booth. "You think this is my fault?" 

"Hey, I'm pretty sure the gossip is about both of us. You tell me people say _we're_ in love, emphasis on the _we_."

"I really don't think that there is any aspect of my behavior toward you that merits the label of unpartnerlike."

Booth raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? You can't think of anything?"

"No," she said confidently.

"Well Bones," he said leading her back to the recently vacated seat across from his desk, "allow me to enlighten you."

Brennan groaned, why did she have to endure this? This whole mess was his fault. She thought she had been clear in her list of rules and if he'd only listen to her, not that he ever did, their problem would go away. She was sure of it.

_Really?_ The proverbial angel on her shoulder asked her, you really think that those urges you get every once in a while don't manifest themselves in their own little ways? You don't think that maybe, you might be culpable as well? Brennan cleared her mind quickly as Booth began to talk, making sure to paste her sourest look on her face.

"Number one," he said as he grinned smugly at her. "You need to stop staring at me."

Brennan's jaw dropped. "You have an ego the size of Texas, you know that? When do I stare at you?"

"Oh, I can think of a few occasions, not the least of which being our trip to Las Vegas where I recall I spent quite a lot of time without a shirt on and you couldn't take your eyes off me. I have to say though, it made our little charade all the more convincing since you spent so much time ogling me."

Brennan's face turned red as she spluttered: "You arrogant . . . conceited . . . "

Booth cut her off. "Now Bones," he said sweetly, "don't say anything you might regret."

She looked ready to haul off and hit him so Booth pressed on, taking advantage of her momentary inability to form a complete sentence.

"Number Two: If you're going to complain about me touching you, there is one little fact that I feel obliged to point out . . . you let me."

Brennan gaped at him, "I don't let you, in fact, I recall asking you many times to stop treating me like I'm directionally challenged and have to be led everywhere. I only stopped asking you because I couldn't seem to get it through your thick head and got tired of trying."

_Liar. _

"Bones, I seem to recall everyone, barring Angela . . . and me of course, getting drop kicked for laying a finger on you. Thanks for that, by the way."

"No problem," she said through gritted teeth, how could one man make her so angry? She shoved the angel off of her shoulder, not about to let anyone talk her into being rational right now and considering that maybe, just maybe she deserved the things he was accusing her of. So maybe she didn't mind it sometimes when he lifted her chin with his hand or rubbed her back soothingly when she was having a hard day . . . but it didn't mean anything!

"Thirdly," he began with what seemed to Brennan an almost predatory look on his face, "you really need to stop talking about sex around me. People may start to think that's all that occupies your mind when we're together. Oh, and stop bringing up my girlfriends all the time too."

"I do not . . . "

"I can't count the number of tines you brought up Tessa when we were dating and don't think I don't know what you had Angela do."

Brennan racked her brain trying to remember what she had had Angela do for her that had anything to do with Tessa. She regarded Booth with a confused look on her face, causing Booth to take pity on her and explain.

"Didn't you have her spy on Tessa for you when we first started working together?"

Brennan's anger flared. "How could you think I would do something like that? Something so base and shallow. I thought you knew me better than that Booth," she finished quietly.

Booth suddenly felt extremely guilty. "Sorry for the assumption Bones."

"You should be," she said coldly.

Her chilly tone brought Booth back to the situation at hand, reminding him of her accusations and he launched again into his newly improvised list of rules for Bones regarding their relationship.

"Number four, you do realize that it is me you call whenever you get into trouble don't you?"

"I resent that. I do not get into trouble, I merely find myself in situations where your specific expertise would come in handy, so logically I would call you."

"Admit it Bones, you need me. Don't deny it," his look, being mildly triumphant, provided Brennan with a renewed burst of frustration. Her facial expressions were conjuring up images in Booth's mind of a time bomb about to detonate. He smiled at her and she seemed to soften, if only a little bit.

"Number five, you really need to stop being so nice to me Bones," he smirked at her.

"When am I nice to you?" she asked, looking at him like he'd just sprouted a third head.

"That one was a joke."

"Oh. . . . Not funny."

Awkward pause.

"Moving on . . . "

"No, Booth, we're done here. I can't listen to this anymore, you're just angry that I called you on your inappropriate actions and you can't stand that I'm right, yet again. Get over it Booth. Once your ego has recovered, we'll talk."

Brennan rose to leave and Booth crossed the room in a few quick strides and backed her up against the door of his office. He smiled as he heard her breath catch in her throat and he could swear he saw her eyes move down to his lips before flying up to meet his gaze.

"Number six, " he said quietly as he put his mouth gently to her ear and whispered. He felt her shiver against him. "I'm not the only one who doesn't seem to understand personal physical boundaries. Who has initiated most of the hugging in this relationship? Who can only seem to put an inch between us during heated debates? Who," he paused," kissed me on the cheek a couple weeks ago in front of her own brother? No, no, no Bones, I don't think it's me that has trouble keeping distance between us."

Brennan struggled to regain her composure, seeking to retrieve the ground she was quickly losing in this argument. Would it undermine all her previous accusations if she kissed him right now? Probably.

"Stop it," she said in a breathy whisper.

"Stop what Bones?" said Booth innocently. He was gong to call her bluff and hopefully get her to realize, preferably without force, what he had known for some time now. When people said they had a thing for each other, Booth had decided recently, they knew just what they were talking about. Now if Bones would only figure it out.

"Stop this?" he asked as he lightly brushed his lips against hers. He felt her begin to respond, but just as quickly she stiffened and pulled away from him.

"I really need to get back to the lab" she said anxiously as she pushed him away, opened the door and headed for the elevator with an added quickness to her step.

Damn! Booth thought. He was not going to let her get away so easily. This was one time when she was not going to run; not if he had anything to say about it!

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**Hope you enjoyed part two!! I guess it's going to be three parts now. The third part will be the hardest, I always have such a hard time when it comes to actually getting them together. So please warm my heart, becuase it's pretty darn cold right now, up here in the Great White North, and leave me a review!! Please? Look I said the magic word:) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Again, not mine.

**A/N: **Well, finished. This was my first chapter fic. so it feels good to be done. Not that three chapters is anything to fret over:) I hope everyone enjoys the last part!

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Brennan strode quickly to the elevator, once again aware of the whispers that followed her down the hall. She could imagine the speculations; the new rumours that would begin to circulate. A lovers' spat maybe? She pushed the DOWN button beside the elevator and hit it a few extra times for good measure. Fortunately for her, the doors opened quickly and she could see Booth running towards her as they shut and the elevator began its descent to the lobby. She paced the short length of the elevator floor, running her hands through her hair, all the while remembering the soft feel of his lips on hers.

She couldn't think strait right now, her mind was in an emotional overdrive and damn if it wasn't his voice that kept running through her head as she heard him repeating all the things that she did; signs that, in his opinion, spoke very loudly of the fact that she was in love. She couldn't deny that she did everything that he said. As a rational being she could not deny that she took the time to admire his excellent musculature, that she allowed him to put his hands on her and yes, that day at the hospital she hadn't been able to resist pressing her lips to his cheek as feelings of gratitude overwhelmed her.

It wasn't until she heard footsteps running up behind her that she realized that she was just standing there, right in the middle of the lobby of the J. Edgar Hoover building. In seconds Booth was in front of her and effectively cutting off her only route of escape. Of course, that didn't stop her from trying to make a break for it anyway.

He grabbed her arm as she tried to move past him. "Bones, wait a second. Please?"

The pained expression on his face and the apprehension in his eyes, that she was sure was mirrored in her own, caused her to stop her struggle.

"Bones, I'm sorry." His look was so gentle that it felt like a physical caress and part of her just wanted to lose herself in the feelings he was arousing and just forget about the fact that this was something that they actually had to talk about

"Really?" She winced as she heard the disappointment in her voice.

He sighed and seemed to be contemplating his answer. "No Bones, not really. I have to be honest; I'm actually very far from being sorry that I kissed you. In fact, I don't think you can get much farther. . . " She couldn't help but let an amused smile come to her lips as he began to ramble.

"Alright, I get it, you're not sorry. What does it mean Booth?"

"I'll tell you Bones, but you have to promise me something, okay?

Brennan hesitated; this could be a mistake of colossal proportions, but . . . "Okay."

"I'm gonna ask you a few questions and you have to be completely honest with me alright? Oh yeah, and I would have to ask you to please not bolt at any point during this conversation."

Brennan just nodded. _Here goes nothing._

"You pride yourself on being very rational right?"

"You know I do." She tried to sound irritated, but she heard the obvious tremble in her voice.

"You would describe your job as gathering together all the facts of a case and coming to a logical conclusion, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, sure." She was beginning to figure out where this was going and it was making her very nervous.

"Now, if you observed a man and a woman who spent all of their time together, fought like an old married couple, him always touching her in some way, her openly admiring his physical structure. . . "

Brennan opened her mouth in protest, but Booth cut her off.

"Can you honestly deny it? Honestly?"

Brennan closed her mouth.

"That's what I thought."

The remark prompted a glare from Brennan. He moved toward her until he was only a couple inches away from her. She felt her breath catch and felt anticipation building up inside her as she eyed his lips once again, remembering the sensations they had created within her just a few short minutes ago. She was also beginning to notice more than a few spectators attempting to appear discreet as they were drawn into the drama unfolding in front of them.

"If they were always in each others space and in all aspects of their work . . . and even outside their work, they complemented each other so perfectly. What logical conclusion would you draw from the evidence Bones?"

Brennan tried to be rational, logical, but with him standing so near that she could feel his breath fan across her face, she couldn't form a single coherent thought. She thought about what he said and the little voice that had been nagging her all afternoon began shouting at her. She knew how they acted, she knew what it looked like, but is this what the evidence added up to? She was rational, she was logical and the only obvious conclusion was now staring her in the face. But would she let herself accept it? She raised her eyes and met his gaze and for the first time noted that his look was one of admiration and something else that she recognized, but would not let herself identify. Her heart flooded with warmth and in that moment she knew what her answer had to be.

She sighed deeply. "I guess my logical, unbiased observation about this couple . . . would be . . . " could she say it? "That they were in love." She felt her face burning and fixed her gaze firmly on the floor tiles.

The she felt his fingers under her chin, tilting her face up to look at him. She saw a wide grin etched across his, in her opinion, devastatingly handsome features and felt a similar one begin to spread across hers.

"Now, does my description happen to remind you of anyone?"

She began slowly: "Well, there is this one couple, but they insist that they're just partners."

"Are you buying it?"

She knew what he was asking and she knew exactly what she wanted, as scenes of her and Booth flashed through her mind and the light bulb over her head, a favourite of cartoonists worldwide, flashed brightly.

"Not for a minute," she said as she began closing the distance between them.

"Now, being the logical man that I am, if all the evidence added up to the fact that we were in love, what would be the obvious thing for me to do right now?"

"This," she whispered as she closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his. She could hear a collective gasp from the now sizable crowd they had attracted as his arms went around her waist and her hands slid into his hair. Brennan was far from caring about the spectacle they were arousing as the only thing that she was concentrating on was Booth's lips moving over hers. The pulled back to breathe and Booth whispered to Brennan.

"I think we're being watched. So much for removing ourselves from the grapevine."

"Well, then let's really give them something to talk about."

Brennan smiled widely at him as she crashed her lips into his for another breathtaking kiss.

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**Please review and let me know what you thought. **

**I really love that even on the show, this seems to be the only thing that Brennan can't be rational about or won't let herself be rational about. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really was overwhelmed by the amount of feedback; didn't expect it and you have no idea how grateful I am.   
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